Ancient Chinese Fable Stories (Revised Edition)

Author: Bei Da Zhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-05-01
Features: The fables collected in this book from ancient China can be summarized into three categories based on their ideological content.
The first category uses vivid and lively metaphors to convey profound wisdom, not only providing aesthetic enjoyment but also enlightening the mind. Since the pre-Qin period, China has produced many fables with strong philosophical depth, forming a distinctive feature of ancient Chinese fables. Many of them shine with the light of or dialectics. For example, "The Frog in the Well" from the Zhuangzi illustrates the vastness of the world, emphasizing that people should not be arrogant based on their limited knowledge. "The Man Who Worried About the Sky Falling" from the Liezi explains that the sky is merely accumulated gas, with no place without it, and the earth is made of soil, filling all corners with no place without it. Therefore, the idea of arbitrarily doubting the collapse of heaven and earth is groundless. "Painting Ghosts" shows that starting from objective reality and following objective laws is difficult and requires hard work, while speaking nonsense detached from reality is easy. Many more fables sarcastically criticize various manifestations of idealism and metaphysics, vividly depicting the ugly attitudes of those stubbornly clinging to metaphysics. "Uprooting the Seedling to Help It Grow" tells people how absurd and ridiculous it is to act against objective laws. "Finding a Person by Digging a Well" illustrates that relying on hearsay and subjective speculation can easily lead to mistakes. As for the person in "The Man Who Bought Shoes," he is a typical example of dogmatism.
The second category has the nature of "admonishing virtue and punishing evil," offering many positive insights. "The Law of Biting the Arrowhead" shows that a dishonest heart, willing to harm a benefactor for personal gain, is despicable. "Waiting for Next Year" and "The Monkey's Love for Alcohol" advise people to correct their mistakes without making excuses or acting knowingly. "The Centipede's Pride" and "Overconfidence Leads to Defeat" teach people not to be arrogant or lightly underestimate their opponents. Some of these stories also contain negative elements, such as promoting the outdated views of contentment and karma. We should be skilled in identifying and critically analyzing these aspects.
The third category is "exposing hidden evils," with a satirical tone. Some target current politics and criticize bad customs, revealing to some extent the darkness and corruption of feudal society. "Taking Someone's Clothes by Force" and "Gao Xin's Love for Killing" reveal the cunning and extreme cruelty of evil people. "Crossing the River Again" and "The Cat Praying for the Rat's Longevity" mock the insincerity of hypocrites. "The Dispute Over Geese" condemns the of empty talk and meaningless debates. "The Sly Man Flattering the Tiger" and "The Mountain Spirit Polishing a Mirror" show that flattery and aversion to criticism will ultimately lead to one's own downfall. "The Pedantic Scholar Putting Out the Fire" and "Fu Xian" portray the absurdity of rigidly adhering to feudal etiquette.
Additionally, there are fables dedicated to learning attitudes, methods, and the art of struggle, with some stories about Bo Le judging horses holding special significance even today.